For the Repubs. who say Obama's "silence" on the Iranian issue shows weakness...

[jenmito]

I point out to them that Obama's speech in Cairo (along with his earlier video message to the Iranian people along with his first interview given to al Jazeera), ALL of those things, helped CAUSE the people to not only get out and vote against Ahmadinejad, but to go out and protest to have their voices heard. Obama inspired them, especially all the young Iranians, to do what they're doing.

He was NOT silent. He spoke TO them and showed he RESPECTS them. What's happening now may not be happening if not for Obama's strong leadership in the form of reaching out. He planted the seeds. He's now watching them grow and made it clear that the WORLD is watching while condemning the violence. Putting ourselves in the middle of the fight would only make the Mousavi supporters look like American stooges. So shut up, McCain, Pence, and all the others criticizing the very person who caused the people to get out there in the first place.

[FreakinDJ]

1. Morons

any thing the POTUS says will only be reflected in increased violence and persecution against the protesters.

Actually what we witnessed with Obama's speech on US relations and Islam just days before what are own CIA knew would be a rigged election may have been one of the greatest intelegence cous of the century.

[jenmito]

4. Exactly...

but the Repubs. are still obsessed with Reagan and what they claim HE did, saying we must "stand for freedom" which to THEM means we have to force ourselves onto the Iranians who don't WANT our "stamp of approval".

[iamjoy]

2. Obama Is Showing Weakness

Their idea of strength would be, oh wait, it was to the tune of a Beach Boys song...

I think Obama is doing the right thing, but to a neocon the only good response would be force. I think most sensible experts agree that is exactly the thing we shouldn't do - any "saber rattling" on the part of Western Democracies would surely drive Iranian dissenters to Ahmadinejad's side.

[jenmito]

6. Speaking of that song...

McCain is on Face the Nation today talking about how "disappointed" he is in Obama's "weakness" and "lack of leadership." :eyes:

[Hatalles]

47. "Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran"

That totally slipped my mind. Good to be reminded of it.

[Turbineguy]

3. As opposed to the GOP way

of showing stupidity.

[jenmito]

7. You got THAT right!

:)

[niyad]

5. the iranians will never (and should never) forgive us for the "show of strength" that overturned

a legitimately elected president, and installed the shah, courtesy of the cia--and look how that turned out. and I am sick to death of the reichwingers and neocons whining that force is the only answer. playground bullies who never grew up.

[jenmito]

8. I agree...

and I'm so glad Obama mentioned that in his speech! He's an intelligent grown-up unlike these RWers.

[GivePeaceAchance]

9. Exactly they are asking President Obama to send mixed messages this can only play out inside Iran.

[jenmito]

10. Thank you. n/t

[liberalmuse]

11. To think that hotheaded dumbass McCain...

was this close to becoming President literally makes my blood run cold. Can you imagine the 3 Fuckiteers all in the same cabinet? OMG.

[jenmito]

12. Your link didn't work...

but my guess is it's a pic of McCain,Graham, and Lieberman? Yup, if McCain were president, we'd probably be bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-bombing Iran right now. And not even in response to this uprising of citizens since I don't think there would've BEEN such a thing. McCain wouldn't have inspired the young people to get out and vote let alone protest when their votes were stolen.

[Cha]

13. Rec'd~ Afterall, the front page of my msn has

a headline that says, "GOP senator says Obama is timid and passive on Iran".

And, President Obama wants to work with whomever the leader turns out to be..just because the gop stick their big ugly elephant noses where they don't belong doesn't mean Obama does.

[jenmito]

14. Thanks, Cha...

Yup, that's what they're saying on the Sunday shows today. They're saying, "Well, his latest statement was a START, but I fear it was in response to our criticism and not from the heart." Paraphrased from what Fred Thompson said today.

[Cha]

15. Ah, fucking asshole fred thompson..

Obama has the corporatemediawhores bringing on a bunch hasbeen jackals and DU has a bunch of armchair wannabes who wished they ruled the world.

Just what the world needs more of..whining bullies.

[AtomicKitten]

16. I was channel flipping and on Faux News yesterday

Geraldo Rivera interviewed an Iranian activist/journalist who said Obama is saying exactly the right things about what is going on in Iran and that Iranians remember McCain's "Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" and McCain (and other Republicans) is using Iran's struggle for political purposes to attack Obama.

I nearly spewed coffee all over myself. But that was nothing. Next a flunkie from the last administration was interviewed and she said, (paraphrased) "I hate to say this, but Obama's speech in Chairo told the Iranians to do this. He is responsible for the remarkable democratic uprising of the citizens in Iran."

I thought I had fallen down the rabbit hole when I heard this.

:hi:

[jenmito]

18. Wow...

I'm CONVINCED that Geraldo voted for Obama and supports him. So I'm glad he had guests on who were SMART and on the side of Obama, too. :hi:

[C_U_L8R]

17. After eight years of one GOP fiasco after another...

these republican idiots need to sit down a shut up.
They might learn something.

[jenmito]

21. They should but they won't...

the media keeps having them on tv to bash Obama.

[HughMoran]

19. I agree

He's playing his cards exactly right. Iranians can and should do this on our own - who the fuck are we to think we know what's best for them? What has our moral superiority done for the Iranians over the past century or so?

[jenmito]

22. Thanks...

You're exactly right. The RWers seem to want Obama to be Bush and force our values on others. Obama sowed the seeds of change and now he's stepping back and watching it take place.

[HughMoran]

24. Seeing some here agree with right-wing hegemony is surprising to me

:wtf:

[jenmito]

25. I haven't seen those posts...

I'll go look around. :)

[HughMoran]

26. You'll have to go back 3-4 days IIRC

Most were laughed at when both Keith and Rachel agreed with Obama's view and made fun of those who would think that Americans really should be sticking their nose into this only to create an "out" for the evil religious nutbags there.

[jenmito]

27. Oh, ok...

thanks for explaining.

[invictus]

20. Obama reached out to the Iranian people instead of threatening to "obliterate" them or singing "bomb

.... "bomb, bomb, bomb, Iran."

[jenmito]

23. Yup...

and that's the only reason the Iranians are doing what they're doing now.

[Enthusiast]

28. I believe that

President Obama's response to the Iranian crisis is the most correct and measured thing he has done since his inauguration. Fuck the Republicans.

[jenmito]

31. I'm glad you feel that way.

:)

[Drunken Irishman]

29. They also spoke out against his speech to moderate Muslims.

So they can't have it both ways.

Pres. Obama was speaking to these groups long before the election.

Yet they were protesting and saying he was apologizing and giving in.

:eyes:

[jenmito]

32. Exactly. And the RWers are saying the fact that Ahmadinejad is speaking out against

America proves that Obama's attempt to reach out to Iran didn't work. Are they really that stupid not to realize that Obama's speech in Cairo and his video message to the Iranians inspired the events of the last week or more with the election?

[Jennicut]

30. Bush started the whole axis of evil thing with Iran. Meanwhile many of its people

who are very young dislike the current regime over there. Nice one.

[jenmito]

33. Exactly. But the RWers are claiming "America should always defend freedom" like

Reagan and Bush did! :eyes:

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[AtomicKitten]

35. You took a wrong turn on the internets, you racist prick.

[jenmito]

37. Bye!

[PretzelWarrior]

39. FUCK OFF you 14 year old racist piece of shit

BU-BYE!

[jenmito]

40. Did you call

the pizzeria to place your order? :D

[Beacool]

41. Interesting perspective, and yes, Neda WILL live on.

She has come to symbolize the struggle of your people.

This is pretty much a left wing Democratic board, therefore it stands to reason that Obama is supported. Yes, some take their support to almost cult status, but not everyone. There are plenty of Democrats who criticize the president when they don't agree with his policies.

There are also quite a few people who didn't agree with Jimmy Carter and are aware that his inaction in the 70s may have aided in the return and rise to power of the Ayatollah Khomeini.

"During Carter's presidency the United States suffered serious fuel shortages and struggled through several major crises including the invasion of the American Embassy in Tehran, the subsequent holding of embassy personnel as hostages by Islamic Radicals, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan."

"The main conflict between human rights and U.S. interests came in Carter's dealings with the Shah of Iran. The Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, had been a strong ally of America since World War II and was one of the "twin pillars" upon which U.S. strategic policy in the Middle East was built. However, his rule was strongly autocratic, and he went along with the plan of the Eisenhower Administration to depose Mohammed Mossadegh in 1953."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter

Did the Carter administration "lose" Iran, as some have suggested? Gaddis Smith might have put it best: "President Carter inherited an impossible situation -- and he and his advisers made the worst of it." Carter seemed to have a hard time deciding whether to heed the advice of his aggressive national security advisor, Zbigniew Brzezinski, who wanted to encourage the Shah to brutally suppress the revolution, or that of his more cautious State Department, which suggested Carter reach out to opposition elements in order to smooth the transition to a new government. In the end he did neither, and suffered the consequences.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carter/peopleevents/e_hostage.html

As for the race issue, race is a very complicated subject in this country. Yes, Obama may be bi-racial and his father may have been a non-practicing Muslim, but the African-American community is rightfully proud that a black man could rise to the highest post in the land. You can't really fault them for that, can you?

Mind you, this comes from someone who anybody here can tell you is not enamored of the man. But, he is bright and we'll just have to wait and see the outcome of his policies.

Stick around and next time teach us more about your culture. Although, please do so without the aggressive tone. You'll get your point across much better that way.

;)

[Name removed]

44. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Cha]

36. "Already Rec'd that thread".. Have you

seen this?

<snip>>

"CNN: What should the United States do?

Zakaria: I would say continue what we have been doing. By reaching out to Iran, publicly and repeatedly, President Obama has made it extremely difficult for the Iranian regime to claim that they are battling an aggressive America bent on attacking Iran. In his inaugural address, his New Year greetings, and his Cairo speech, there is a consistent effort to convey respect and friendship for Iranians. That is why Khamenei reacted so angrily to the New Year greeting. It undermined the image of the Great Satan that he routinely paints in his sermons. In his Friday sermon, Khamenei said that the United States, Israel, and especially the United Kingdom were behind the street protests, an accusation that will surely sound ridiculous to most Iranians. The fact that Obama has been cautious in his reaction makes it all the harder for Khamenei and Ahmadinejad to wrap themselves in a nationalist flag.

CNN: But shouldn't the U.S. be more vocal in support for the Iranian protesters?

Zakaria: I think a good historic analogy is President George H.W. Bush's cautious response to the cracks in the Soviet empire in 1989. Then, many neo-conservatives were livid with Bush for not loudly supporting those trying to topple the communist regimes in Eastern Europe. But Bush's concern was that the situation was fragile. Those regimes could easily crack down on the protestors and the Soviet Union could send in tanks. Handing the communists reasons to react forcefully would help no one, least of all the protesters. Bush's basic approach was correct and has been vindicated by history."

<much more>>>
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/19/zakaria.iran.elections/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

[jenmito]

38. Thanks for the link...

great interview. Zakaria has it right IMO.

And thanks for the attempted second rec. :D

[Beacool]

42. Why tombstone that poster?

Maybe there was something we could all have learned from each other. Educating someone and also learning why they feel that way may have been more productive.

:eyes:

[AtomicKitten]

51. Because it was a rightwing racist post.

Considering you are the only one that didn't find it offensive, you must be kindred spirits.

[jenmito]

52. ...

:fistbump:

[AtomicKitten]

53. *

:fistbump:

[Skittles]

43. who gives a flying FUCK what repukes think?

[democracy1st]

45. unfortunately alot of these sorry ass dems in DC

[jenmito]

46. They get a platform on tv and influence people's thinking.

[JI7]

48. didn't the wingnuts refer to Obama's speeches as an "Apology Tour" ?

didn't they criticize him for bringing up our faults like overthrowing their elected leader in the 50s ? even though he criticized them also.

[Peacetrain]

49. Republicans do not have room to criticize anyone for anything

[Autumn]

50. On this Obama is really playing it

smart. Those assholes just miss bush and his shoot em up talk. Fuck em ,

[Phx_Dem]

54. Yawn. I've head worse about Obama from DUers and liberal blogs.

Republicans are gonna have to step up the criticism if they want to outdo the Dems!